


Southern Hospitality

by Kaillingme (Setty94)



Category: EXO (Band), K-pop, SuperM (Korea Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Farm/Ranch, Clubbing, Drag Queens, Established Relationship, Gay Bar, Happy Ending, Homophobia, M/M, Moving, Mystery, Religious Fanaticism, Suspense
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-01
Updated: 2021-03-01
Packaged: 2021-03-13 23:33:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,133
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29783754
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Setty94/pseuds/Kaillingme
Summary: When Baekhyun inherited an old farmhouse out in the middle of nowhere, he didn’t think anything of it.
Relationships: Byun Baekhyun/Kim Jongin | Kai
Comments: 3
Kudos: 11
Collections: Etherealboys Round 3





	Southern Hospitality

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt # R2.79
> 
> Hiii! Don't let the tags scare you, it's not overly graphic homophobia. Also please do not take this depiction of religion as my opinion on it. I'm merely showing how *some* fanatics act for the purposes of plot. I do not mean to demean or villainize anyone who takes part in religion. Also I'm not from Texas, so if anything is OOC please lmk

A strange letter should have been the first sign that something was fishy, but Baekhyun wouldn’t realize that until much later. That, and the fact that Jongin was always an optimist  _ and _ had told him that life was full of surprises and this was just one of them. Baekhyun loved Jongin, yes, but sometimes he just wanted to bop him on the head.

The letter contained a brief description of a distant family member that had passed away and left Baekhyun their farmhouse in a foreign country, smack dab in the middle of nowhere. Baekhyun had wanted to shred the letter and let the government take care of the property, but Jongin, sweet, sweet Jongin really wanted a vacation and Baekhyun could never really tell him no.

So, here they were, bags packed and ready to go in the Seoul Incheon International Airport, waiting for their flight to board. Beside Baekhyun, Jongin chatted eagerly with his best friend, Kyungsoo on the phone. He always had an animated way about him, talking with his hands even though they both knew Kyungsoo couldn’t see him. It was cute.

Sometimes Baekhyun wondered how Jongin had become friends with the silent Doh Kyungsoo, but Jongin was the type to befriend everyone, so it really wasn’t that much of a mystery. According to him, they had met in the grocery store where Kyungsoo had been teetering on the bottom of a shelf to reach something on the top shelf. Jongin had offered his services to help the man, but Kyungsoo had pushed him away stating that he could handle it on his own. Somehow, that made Jongin want to befriend the man, and that was exactly what he did.

Baekhyun smiled softly to the ground as Jongin played with his suitcase handle. (It had long since been broken because Jongin had a knack for breaking anything in his hands – except for Baekhyun that was.) He felt the telltale nudge from his boyfriend that let him know that he was off the phone and gave him a crooked smile.

“Are you excited to go to America?” Baekhyun asked. He had a bad feeling about the whole thing, but one beaming grin from Jongin was almost enough to chase it all away. Almost. The tiny little seedling sat in the pit of his stomach, reminding him that they were going into new territory.

“I’ve never been! I wonder if everything really is as big as they say,” Jongin laughed. He fidgeted with the broken suitcase handle a bit more before catching Baekhyun’s eyes on him and blushed deeply. Baekhyun loved it when he did that.

“Well, we’re headed to…” Baekhyun pulled out the ticket and squinted at the name. “Tex-as. So I think you’ll find out.”

Jongin hummed beside him. He was easily excited about small things, but that was what made Baekhyun love him. He was easygoing and likeable in that way that sometimes made Baekhyun a bit jealous. Now, Baekhyun had the ability to turn on his more chatty and outgoing side when he needed to, but it got tiring after a while. And sometimes he just wanted to be a bit of a loner and think. At least around Jongin he could tone it all down and really be himself.

Lacing his fingers through Jongin’s Baekhyun scanned the ticket once more. He had a foreboding feeling about this trip that he just couldn’t shake. A random letter from a family member he had no memories of ever meeting and with no return address other than the farmhouse, just screamed horror film to him. Hopefully, just hopefully, his gut was wrong.

Jongin got his wish. The moment they landed in the Dallas Fort Worth Airport, both of them were in shock by how  _ huge  _ everything was. Baekhyun couldn’t help but smile at the way Jongin’s eyes went perfectly round as he took everything in. It was too cute, especially when his mouth fell open just slightly in awe. Baekhyun kind of wanted to kiss him right then and there, but he didn’t. New country, new rules; and he had heard about how the southern United States treated gay people.

Upon entering the main atrium of the airport, Baekhyun was greeted by an out of place man wearing a tuxedo. The man was holding a sign that said: ‘The Byun Family’ and waved both Jongin and Baekhyun towards him. How he knew it was them, he had no idea.

“I am here to direct you gentleman to your car,” the man said and gave a deep bow.

People passing by rubber necked to see what was going on, but after a few moments of uncomfortable staring, they moved on. Baekhyun tightened his grip on his carry on, while Jongin obliviously followed after the man. Every inch of Baekhyun was on edge.

The ride was tense. Baekhyun and Jongin had piled into the front seat of a nice pickup truck. It wasn’t exactly what Baekhyun had thought their concierge would be like, but he wasn’t going to complain. The man driving the truck was relatively silent and made small talk to the best of his ability. It wasn’t much since he didn’t speak Korean, but he tried well enough. Baekhyun appreciated that.

Beside him, Jongin tried to grab Baekhyun’s hand, but Baekhyun shifted it away inconspicuously and whispered, “Not here, not now.” 

That earned him a narrow-eyed look from Jongin and nothing else. Jongin’s hand stayed in the gap between their thighs upturned, as if he was waiting for Baekhyun to change his mind. Baekhyun didn’t. He just had a feeling it wouldn’t be a good idea to be so open in such an enclosed space.

A gruff, “This is the spot,” was all the man said before stopping the truck and getting out to help with the bags.

Baekhyun nudged Jongin to open the door, but Jongin was ignoring him. “Baby, please,” Baekhyun begged in Korean. 

With an annoyed expression, Jongin opened the door and slipped out, pouting in a way that made Baekhyun’s heart squeeze. He hated doing this, but he needed to take every precaution at the moment.

A sigh and some stumbling and muttering because Jongin’s suitcase handle came completely off this time, and the two of them were standing on the front porch of what looked like a 1600’s farmhouse. Sitting in the rocking chair on the wrap around porch was a well dressed woman holding a stack of papers.

Baekhyun approached her cautiously while Jongin and the driver tried to fix the broken suitcase. Baekhyun had to admit that Jongin’s English sounded cute, so he was a bit sad to leave him behind to speak with who he assumed to be the realtor.

“Hello, I am Sunmi Lee, I will give you guys a walk-through of the property and answer any questions you may have,” the woman said. Her nails were perfectly manicured and she had a bright cheery smile with perfect white teeth and glossy black hair that was about shoulder length.

“Nice to meet you,” Baekhyun said in halting English. He felt the heat on his cheeks when Sunmi offered to speak in Korean and thanked her quietly.

“As you can see this property is pretty large. You have about fifty acres of land. Perfect size for a small farm. Your Great Aunt left you her animals to do what you please with. There have been several eager buyers for her horses and livestock, but the estate lawyers have been holding off until you were reached,” Sunmi explained.

Jongin and the driver finally made it up to the porch, Jongin holding the suitcase to his chest as if it were a stuffed bear and looking around with wonder. “It’s huge!” He exclaimed. 

Baekhyun let out a small chuckle, maybe the move would be worth it after all. Especially if he got to see Jongin this excited and happy all the time.

Sunmi winked at him and smiled. She spoke in English and said, “They say everything is bigger in Texas.” This earned her a guffaw from the driver who then gave a two finger salute to Baekhyun and made his way back to his truck.

Jongin nodded like he understood what she said, but Baekhyun knew he didn’t quite catch it, so he repeated it in Korean and Jongin giggled a bit. He set the suitcase down on the porch and walked around it, touching the fine grained wood railings. 

When Jongin came back, he clapped his hands together. “I like it!” his English was halting as well, but it was too cute for Baekhyun not to want to kiss him right then and there. But he held back.

“Since we’re all Korean here, I’ll continue this tour in Korean,” Sunmi explained. She opened an envelope and handed the key to Baekhyun, gesturing towards the door. “Let’s head inside before it gets too dark.”

Baekhyun stuck the key in the lock and jiggled it. He could feel the metal grinding as he struggled to turn it. For some reason that made his back tingle and he laughed nervously. As if it was a sign that they should turn back. Wiping the sweat from his hands he tried again and this time the lock gave and he was able to open the door.

“I’ll have a man out here tomorrow to change the locks since that one sticks a bit,” Sunmi explained.

The three of them crossed the threshold, taking in the dusty but homey feel to the farmhouse. Off to the left was a set of stairs that went to the second floor, and to Baekhyun’s right was a large dining room. The table was still set as though his Great Aunt had set it for guests before she had died. That made Baekhyun think about the last time he had ever seen her and he honestly could not remember a time.

On the walls were pictures of the supposed family member. Jongin walked up to one of them, pointing out that Baekhyun’s father was in a few of them and Baekhyun put the relationship to rest in his head. If his father had been here at some point then she had to be part of the family.

Sunmi finally spoke after both Baekhyun and Jongin had finished looking at the immediate area. “There are six bedrooms, an attic, and a crawl space under the house. I sent exterminators there last week to check for racoons, but nothing was found.”

“Racoons?” Baekhyun asked, freezing on the spot. “Are they like the ones in Korea?”

Sunmi scrunched up her face in thought. “Not quite. These are a little bigger and have little striped tails.”

Baekhyun nodded. He could handle that. “And the farm animals? I don’t have much experience caring for livestock, so I wouldn’t know what to do.”

“Like I said, there are a number of willing buyers for the animals on this farm. You can sell them, or hire a farmhand to help you care for it.”

“I want to care for them!” Jongin said suddenly. His expression was so hopeful that even though Baekhyun was feeling inclined to sell them, he now knew he couldn’t. Telling Jongin no when he looked like that was not a skill Baekhyun possessed.

“Do you know how to?” Baekhyun asked in a hushed tone.

Jongin grinned. “No, but I can learn. It’ll be fun.”

That was his answer. Baekhyun sighed and smiled. “Okay, well that settles that. Um,” he paused and looked around at the house some more. 

It was pretty dark for it being so bright outside. Maybe he would get some more lamps or something to brighten it up. He didn’t fear the dark, but being in a new country, he definitely feared the unknown. 

“Do you know of any services that could help teach Jongin?”

Sunmi frowned. “I can look around. Real estate is my field, but I will do my best.”

“Ah, thank you,” Baekhyun said nodding his head.

“Okay, let’s go upstairs and take a look around,” Sunmi said.

Both Baekhyun and Jongin followed her up the stairs and into a narrow hallway that creaked when they walked. It was a bit unnerving, but the large window at the end let in more light than downstairs, so at least there was that.

The second floor had the five bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a small enclave that Jongin had claimed for himself upon first sight. He said it would be where he’d put all his books and manga. It was near a small window that looked like it hadn’t been cleaned in years, but Sunmi had explained that with a bit of elbow grease, it would be just as clear as the others. Oh there was going to be so much work to be done.

The bedrooms were still furnished. Two of them looked to be children’s rooms but they were largely untouched and dusty. It made Baekhyun frown a bit. It seemed his aunt had wanted children and never had any or worse, they had passed long ago. Baekhyun had closed those rooms and told himself they’d be the first he’d remodel if he chose to stay in the house. Something about child ghosts possibly lurking about had him feeling even more uneasy.

Two of the rooms were clearly guest rooms. They still looked warm and inviting, but unused much like the children’s rooms. The final room was definitely his Great Aunt’s. He could tell by the many photos in the room. Most were of her, some were of his father and there was a single one of him. He was wearing his high school graduation uniform and smiling with annoyance at his parents. 

He remembered the day clearly. He had begged his parents not to make a huge deal out of it, but they were so excited that he had graduated and was off to college to study interior design that they took pictures every moment they had.

He walked over to pick up the frame and rubbed his thumb over the glass. Clearly his Great Aunt knew about him. But, why didn’t he know about her. Suddenly, a loud crash and tumble from the hallway drew Baekhyun’s attention and he placed the photo back on the dresser and ran to check what was going on.

Jongin was sitting at the end of the stairs holding Sunmi’s head in his lap. The rest of her was limp and contorted to the point that Baekhyun thought he’d witnessed his first death. The pit in his stomach grew ten times and his blood ran cold. It seemed that she had fallen down the stairs. 

Baekhyun rushed down, heart racing in his chest. “What happened?!”

“S-she just slipped,” Jongin said. His eyes were wide and he was holding her as still as possible, hands braced on either side of her neck. His paramedic training was pretty evident. “We have to call an ambulance.”

Just then, Sunmi stirred and opened her eyes. “Damn heels,” was the first thing she said and then she stared at both Jongin and Baekhyun. “I’ll be fine,” she waved and tried to move but Jongin shook his head.

“Let me check if you have a concussion,” he said and then set about asking her questions and making her follow his finger. 

Baekhyun watched all of this feeling even more anxious and wrung his hands. What kind of bad omen was this? Maybe the house was trying to tell him something. Hell, he didn’t even know how his aunt died! He gripped the edge of the banister, trying to calm himself down. Sunmi said she was okay. Everything was going to be okay.

After Jongin had finished his questioning and deemed Sunmi fine, he helped her to her feet while Baekhyun sat on the bottom stair, face feeling tight. Everything just felt so wrong.

Sunmi quickly pulled the heels off and glared at them. “New shoes. I’m fine really.”

Baekhyun nodded and since Jongin was still in paramedic mode they had a silent conversation with their eyes. A slight widening asked Baekhyun if he was okay. Baekhyun blinked once and Jongin visibly relaxed before offering to get Sunmi some water.

Now alone, the two of them stared at each until Baekhyun broke the silence. “This house isn't haunted, is it?”

“Of course not!” Sunmi laughed. “I’m just a bit of a klutz. But enough about me, are there any non-host related questions you have about the property?”

Baekhyun started to shake his head but then a thought popped in his head. “How are the neighbors?”

“Uh,” Sunmi’s face darkened a bit but still, she smiled. “They’re a bit on the zealous side, but mostly harmless.”

“What do you mean by  _ mostly harmless _ ?” Jongin asked as he returned with the water.

“They might be adamant about you attending church services, but if you turn them down enough it shouldn’t be too bad. Now, let's go over some paperwork,” she said and motioned towards the dining table.

  
  


It was two months before Baekhyun had even seen his neighbors’ faces. He hadn’t really been too upset about that however. There was a lot of work to be done for the farmhouse and by this time they had just finished remodeling the two children’s rooms upstairs. One had been turned into Baekhyun’s work office and the other a small studio for Jongin. 

He liked to dance on the side, so Baekhyun couldn’t help but open up the wall separating that room from the guest room and making a small dance area for Jongin. The windows had offered plenty of light for Jongin to practice between his shifts and the wall to wall mirrors allowed for him to watch himself. It had been back-breaking work, but Baekhyun was very proud of what he accomplished.

Baekhyun’s Great Aunt’s room had remained untouched and he and Jongin both slept in the other guest room as it felt inappropriate to sleep in her room. Jongin’s small library was still being worked on by the contractors they hired.

Baekhyun was busy in the kitchen when he heard a knock on the door. Thinking it was Jongin, he shouted in accented English for him to come on in. They had been using English more and more since coming here. While they weren’t perfect, they could get by just fine around the small town. The people were nice and if they didn’t know the word for something, well a single google search was a lot of help.

Footsteps behind Baekhyun alerted him that it wasn’t Jongin, so he turned around, hands with suds clinging to them and saw a rather skinny man, holding a hat to his chest. He had sunburnt, ruddy cheeks and kind eyes. He certainly looked harmless.

“Pardon me for intruding, my wife insisted that we introduce ourselves,” the man said with a southern twang. “I’m Tony and this is my wife Cheryl.” 

He called out behind him and a just as thin woman entered, holding a basket covered with a thin cloth. A fruity smell permeated the air.

Baekhyun wiped his hands off on the dish towel and smiled at the couple. It was quite nice of them to bring food. 

“Of course, come in.” He nodded his head and directed the two to the dining table. “We should have introduced ourselves earlier, but all the, uh…” he blanked on the word and pointed upwards to the ceiling. “Fixing the rooms.”

“Oh, you’re remodeling!” Cheryl exclaimed. She set down the basket on the table and uncovered it, revealing several baked goods. “Do let us come by to see everything when it is done.”

Baekhyun smiled and thanked her for the gift. “It’s a nice house,” he said awkwardly. He hadn’t been expecting visitors so the bank of topics to talk about was pretty limited. Especially in English.

“Beautiful property,” Tony added. “We had our eye on it, but when the real estate agent told us you were coming, we wanted to get to know you. Where you from?”

“K-korea,” Baekhyun stumbled over the word. “My family is from there.”

“North or South?” Tony asked and Cheryl smacked his arm. “What, you never know with them.”

Baekhyun’s smile waned, he was beginning to feel uncomfortable. “South.”

Just then, Jongin entered from the back door, sweaty and with a small pale blue hand towel around his neck. He paused when he saw the two strangers and then awkwardly skirted into the kitchen to get some water.

“Oh is he a good farmhand?” Cheryl asked, eyes never leaving Jongin’s back. “He looks strong and handsome.”

Baekhyun swallowed, not sure how to handle this situation and then smiled. “He’s my... roommate.”

Having heard that, Jongin came into the room speaking Korean, “Roommate? Is that what I am now?”

“Jongin, please, can we have this conversation later?” Baekhyun replied. He then switched back to English and smiled at the neighbors. “Thank you for the food.”

“Oh, it’s nothing. Just a bit of Southern hospitality,” Cheryl said. Then she whispered something to her husband before leaving.

The man stared at Baekhyun hard, and then at Jongin. “Y’all should come to this sunday’s service.” He fished out a card with the church’s address and information on it in both English and what he assumed to be Chinese. “Had these made special just for y’all,” he said with a wink. He then gestured with his hat and said goodbye.

Baekhyun stared at the cards and then tossed them on the counter. He guessed it was nice of them to go out of the way to include them even if it was the wrong language.

Once he heard Tony and Cheryl’s truck start, Baekhyun locked the door and slid down to his butt against it. 

“Jongin, I’m sorry.”

Jongin tossed the towel he had onto the table and snatched a cookie from the basket as he walked over to Baekhyun. He was clearly hurt. “I understand that we can’t hold hands in public, but this is our home. I don’t want to hide in our home.”

Jongin knelt down between Baekhyun’s legs and put the cookie halfway in his mouth. He nudged Baekhyun to bite the other half and their lips met very briefly before Baekhyun turned away, blushing deeply and chewing. The cookie was pretty tasty. A bit too sweet, but soft, much like Jongin’s lips.

“I just don’t want anything to happen to us,” Baekhyun explained after swallowing. “I’ve read articles of people like us being beaten.”

“Nothing will, they’re just being nice,” Jongin said as he straddled Baekhyun on the ground. Jongin placed his forehead against Baekhyun’s and nuzzled him. But, it didn’t ease the bad feeling Baekhyun had brewing in his gut.

“Whatever you say,” Baekhyun replied, turning away. He let Jongin take his chin and kiss him, hoping it would somehow make the bad feeling go away. It didn’t.

  
  


It was about a month later when Baekhyun and Jongin were found out. Halloween was approaching and Baekhyun had never really had a whole house to decorate, so he went overboard with supplies the moment he had a day off work. He was putting up the fake spider web decorations when he heard the rumble of a truck nearing the property.

Baekhyun climbed down from the ladder and wiped his hands on his pants as a different neighbor got out of the car. “Howdy!” Baekhyun called out, but the man seemed to be upset since he only nodded his head as he approached.

“What’s this I hear about that farmhand and you?”

“What?”

That question threw Baekhyun for a loop and although his English was much better than a month ago, he could not pull any words to the surface. Baekhyun shook his head, still unable to speak, but the husband didn’t care.

“You know, the Good Lord don’t take kindly to a man lying with a man.” He spat on the ground and then turned to leave. “That’s the devil’s holiday decorations. You best be taking them down,” he said over his shoulder as he headed back to his truck.

Was that a threat?

Baekhyun watched him go with trembling hands. His chest was heaving but there was nothing he could do right now. Once the truck sped off, kicking up dust and dirt, Baekhyun allowed himself to sink to one of the porch steps, head in his hands. What had he gotten them into?

How had they been found out? He knew that it could end up bad, but he didn’t think it’d be this bad. He sat there for a while, just breathing and justifying his relationship with Jongin to himself until the sun began to set and a pair of hands grabbed his shoulders.

Baekhyun jumped, half ready to throw whoever touched him to the ground, but when he caught Jongin’s scent he melted into his arms. Then he sprang away, shaking his head. “We have to be careful.”

“Oh come on,” Jongin whined. “There’s no one for acres and if there is, this is our property.”

“Maybe we should buy a gun,” Baekhyun said and then immediately regretted it.

“What happened?” Jongin asked with a sigh as he sank down next to Baekhyun.

“Someone came up and threatened me about us,” Baekhyun said and nodded towards the door, signalling they should go inside. 

After they were both inside, Baekhyun locked the door and then continued. “Said the Good Lord doesn’t like men lying with men.”

“We do more than just lay with each other,” Jongin offered with a wry smile. “In fact, I’m quite sore from working with the animals today and could really use one of your famous massages.”

“I think that’s what he meant,” Baekhyun said hollowly. He ignored Jongin’s advance and moved to stand behind the counter where he was out of view of the window. He was starting to feel extremely tired. “Did I make a mistake coming here?”

Jongin’s eyes darkened and he walked around Baekhyun to peer out the window. When he turned around he sighed again. 

“Maybe a gun wouldn’t be so bad.”

“Jongin listen to us,” Baekhyun said with a laugh. “Talking about buying guns. I guess we’re really American now.” 

He was trying to lighten the mood, but it was too late. Jongin had that set to his jaw that told him that the rest of the night was going to be very silent and tense while he brooded. And he was right.

Jongin remained that way throughout dinner until Baekhyun coaxed him into the shower. He watched him wash himself for a moment before pressing his chest to Jongin’s back and resting his head on his shoulder. “Baby, I’m sorry.”

Jongin froze, “What for?”

“For being so jumpy. I guess I just feel out of place here and…” Baekyhun trailed off.

“I miss home too,” Jongin whispered, barely audible about the hiss of the water. He turned around to face Baekhyun and let himself be wrapped up in him.

“We’ll make this place feel like home too,” Baekhyun replied before trailing kisses across Jongin’s chest. He grinned to himself when Jongin’s eyes fell shut and his face finally relaxed. He loved knowing that he still had that effect on him.

It was a small moment of indulgence that allowed them to forget the day’s earlier events and come out of it with clearer heads. Baekhyun still wanted to buy something to keep them safe but Jongin agreed only if they both took classes prior. Guns made them both feel unsettled.

  
  


The next few days were relatively uneventful. Baekhyun continued hanging up Halloween decorations without any interruptions and was very proud of his work. He couldn’t help but grin at how well he succeeded in making the farmhouse look creepy.

When he finished he decided it would be nice to watch Jongin work with the animals and pulled on a pair of not-quite-broken-in-boots, blue jeans, a flannel and a hat. He knew he was overdoing it, but something about embracing the cowboy persona had him smiling even more. Today was really turning out to be a great day.

Jongin was shoveling manure when Baekhyun approached him. It was a smell he knew he’d never get used to, but by now it didn’t bother him so much. Baekhyun watched Jongin for a few moments before he stopped, sculpted arms glistening with a sheen of sweat, and wiped a hand across his brow. He’d gotten quite built over the past few months.

“You gonna stand there looking pretty, or help me?”

“I don’t know. I’m really enjoying the show,” Baekhyun laughed. “Give me a little spin,” he added with a smirk.

Jongin rolled his eyes and leaned on the shovel. “Well if we both do it, it’ll be done faster, plus I’ll get to have some eye candy myself.”

“You saying that me standing here isn’t enough?” Baekhyun teased.

Jongin grinned, “I’m saying that I don’t think I’d mind too much if you got a little dirty with me.”

They hadn’t flirted like this for what felt like ages. Baekhyun snorted and rolled up the sleeves of his flannel. Taking a shovel in hand, he helped Jongin finish the job there and then the two of them moved on to the chicken coop.

“You do this every day?”

“More or less. I like being out here with the animals. It’s peaceful and helps me forget the neighbors, you know?”

Baekhyun winced. “I know what you mean. They’re...intense.”

Jongin gave him a dark look before sighing. “Don’t beat yourself up about it. I like being here with you.”

“Thanks, babe,” Baekhyun said. “You always know how to make me feel better.”

“Just doing my job,” Jongin winked.

Baekhyun gathered the eggs while Jongin cleaned and laid new hay for the chickens to make nests out of. By the time Baekhyun had collected all the eggs, he caught Jongin talking to one of the chickens and smiled from the door to the coop.

“You like scratches, huh?” Jongin cooed as he gave the hen a few pats on its head. It clucked softly and when Jongin looked up at Baekhyun he gave him a toothy smile. “She’s my favorite.”

“I can tell,” Baekhyun chuckled. Then he hefted the basket of eggs. “We should get these ready for the market tomorrow. No way we’re going to eat all these.”

“Sounds like a good idea,” Jongin said and gave the hen one last pat before standing up. “We should check on the pigs and then I’ll care for the horses while you round up the goats.”

“Round up the goats? Did you let them out?” Baekhyun asked, already picturing himself chasing after them like a loon.

Jongin had been hounding him about getting a dog for the past week and Baekhyun was seriously considering it. Jongin had said it would help with the farm work that he had taken quite the liking to. He had even quit his job in favor of being a part-time fireman so he could spend more time at home on the farm. It didn’t really bother Baekhyun because he did get to see Jongin more often and it wasn’t like they had a mortgage to pay. Just the utilities and property taxes, which Baekhyun more than made up for with all his commissions and overseas teleconferences.

“Maybe…” Jongin trailed and set both shovels by the coop entrance. “But, first the pigs.”

Baekhyun should’ve known that something was up when he rounded the corner to the pig pen and found not a single animal in sight. His second clue should have been the fact that Jongin had taken off his shirt, but that in and of itself was a hell of a distraction. He’d gotten very fit. Enough to make Baekhyun feel a bit self-conscious.

“Thought we could mud wrestle,” Jongin said. He closed the distance between the two of them and started unbuttoning Baekhyun’s flannel.

“But the pigs?” Baekhyun sputtered and then swatted Jongin’s hands away in order to undress himself.

“Took care of them first,” Jongin said. “I figured we needed something to let off a little steam. It’s been a while since we just had fun together.”

Letting off a little steam was an understatement because the moment they were in the mud, Jongin had lifted Baekhyun and slammed him (gently) into the mud and sat on top of him. It was a familiar sight. Seeing Jongin straddled over him, but one he had never seen with the backdrop of a beautiful blue, cloudless sky. He was just so picturesque.

Shaking the sense back into himself, Baekhyun struggled under him, trying to grab Jongin, but his hands were already coated with mud and quite slick. So, he opted for grabbing a huge glob of it and throwing it in Jongin’s face to stun him. It worked because now Baekhyun had the advantage and was sitting on top of him, hands pinning down Jongin’s arms. 

He leaned down to Jongin’s mud covered face and whispered. “You forget that I have trained. You’re going to lose, babe.”

They spent the better part of the next hour rolling around in the mud, each of them getting the best of the other until they were tied. So much for his training. Jongin’s raw strength was now a force to be reckoned with. Maybe it was time for Baekhyun to start hitting the fields as well.

A sweep of Baekhyun’s legs almost brought Jongin down, but just as Baekhyun was about to go for another move, he found himself on his back, staring into the face of his boyfriend. How he got here he was sure, but as Jongin leaned down to kiss him, he didn’t really care.

Their lips met, feeling gritty and rough, but Baekhyun let himself get lost in the kiss. He didn’t know how long it had been since they had lazily made out like this, but it was nice. He didn’t even care that mud had found its way into his boots or up his pants leg. He didn’t care that his back was sticky and wet from the ground below him. He didn’t care about anything other than kissing Jongin and that was kind of nice.

A gasp to his right was something he did care about. Baekhyun pushed Jongin off of him and wiped the mud from his face the best he could as one of the neighbors dropped the basket of goods and backed away, face aghast.

This was not good.

  
  


Whatever Baekhyun had feared would happen after he and Jongin were caught kissing didn’t happen immediately. No, it was subtle things like their farm goods not selling as well or the stares and whispers. It was small things like church pamphlets being shoved in their mailboxes and letters from the pastor asking him if they wanted to be saved. It was nondescript things like more and more neighbors stopping by in their cars but not getting out to greet them. 

It wasn’t until Baekhyun started noticing that Halloween decorations from the porch had gone missing that the unease was dialed up to eleven. Someone was getting close to their house without them noticing.

First it was swaths of webbing that disappeared overnight. Then it was the small jack o'lanterns that he had bought. The one that really irked him was a skeleton he had put in the rocking chair. He thought it was kinda clever, sitting there with its gallon hat and pipe between its teeth.

When that went missing Baekhyun immediately told Jongin and the two of them decided to stake out the house from the living room to see who it was. Curled up on the sofa with every light off and only the glow from their phones keeping them company, Baekhyun and Jongin stared out the window at the porch. Tension thick enough that it was suffocating.

They shared short glances, clenched jaws, and jumpy legs as they waited for someone to appear. At some point voices could be heard and Baekhyun shot up, heart ramming in his chest. He shook Jongin awake and pressed his finger to his lips as he crept closer to the window to get a better view.

Just outside he could see several kids scurrying in the darkness, grabbing whatever they could and stuffing it into bags. Baekhyun and Jongin shared a look and after a nod, Baekhyun stood up and ran to the door, flinging it open.

“Hey!” He shouted and two of the kids dropped their bags and took off running. 

The last kid just stood there, holding onto his bag, bottom lip trembling like he might cry. When Baekhyun approached him the kid shied away and started wailing. Baekhyun froze, both hands up and looked back at Jongin who was still standing in the doorway looking incredibly annoyed.

“Shh,” Baekhyun hushed the child. “I’m not going to hurt you, I just want to know why you’re doing this.”

“Because Mama and Papa told us to,” the child sniffled. He stepped backward as if he was still afraid.

Baekhyun turned to give Jongin another look and pursed his lips. It was exactly as he feared. He beckoned Jongin over and when he came up to him, he whispered in his ear, “Call his parents. I’m going to have a talk with them.”

Jongin stared at Baekhyun, clearly wanting to say something, but he thought better of it. Life out here had changed Jongin from the happy-go-lucky boyfriend he had been to someone a bit more cautious and hardened. After a tense moment, Jongin turned away and went back inside.

From where Baekhyun was standing he could hear Jongin’s accented English explaining that the child’s parents needed to come by. Baekhyun stepped towards the child and he retreated another step. Sighing, Baekhyun decided to take a seat on the first step of his porch and gestured for the kid to join him.

“Your parents are on their way,” Baekhyun said and rested his elbows on his knees. He hated that all of this was happening. All he wanted was a smooth transition into the community but he clearly wasn't going to get that.

When the child’s parents arrived, only a few choice words were shared.

“He told us that you told him to take down our decorations,” Baekhyun explained as the mother pulled her child into her arms and cooed at him. She glanced up at him with narrowed eyes.

“Of course we told him! Your lifestyle is sinful.”

Her words hit Baekhyun like he’d been slapped. It wasn’t just about the Halloween decorations - no it was about his “ _ lifestyle _ ”. He bit back a retort and smiled thinly.

“I see…” he paused as the mother shuffled her kid into the backseat of her minivan. “Don’t let it happen again, or I will call the cops.”

She gave him a cursory look and pursed her lips. “If they’ll come.”

Her statement haunted Baekhyun for the rest of the night. He laid awake next to a sleeping Jongin, staring at the ceiling. Was there nothing he could do to protect them?

  
  
  


“We need a gun, Jongin.” Baekhyun said.

They were both silent as Jongin chewed his food. Baekhyun watched the way his jaw muscles flexed and bit his lip. Maybe he shouldn’t have come here. This whole trip was a mistake. They should just move back to Korea and leave all of this behind. It wasn’t worth his relationship falling apart.

“I think you’re right,” Jongin answered after a moment longer. “But we’re not shooting any kids.”

“God no!” Baekhyun balked. “I just have a bad feeling that next time it won’t be kids.”

Jongin scooped another bite of food into his mouth. “Maybe we should get cameras first. Or a dog.”

“Cameras are a good idea.”

  
  
  


Everything was silent for about a month. Then Christmas came around. Baekhyun had always liked Christmas. Not as much as Halloween, but that had been ruined by those children stealing the decorations. He hated to admit it but he gave in and took everything down the next day just to avoid any more attention being drawn to them.

But Christmas? Baekhyun figured it was safe. Not in this neighborhood, apparently. The second he placed a wreath on his front door, he found his mailbox across the street and all his letters opened and strewn about in the dirt.

He made short work of replacing the mailbox before Jongin returned home and bit his tongue about the whole incident. He hadn’t even realized how tense he was until Jongin brought up that he’d been getting strange looks in town.

“People won’t even say hello to me anymore,” he mumbled, head resting on his arms and a pout on his face.

Baekhyun glanced to the windows before reaching and smoothing his forehead. “It’ll pass. We just have to get through this. Eventually they’ll forget.”

Jongin shook his head. “I don’t think so. Every day my partners say less and less to me. If I’m in the locker room, they all hide away in the bathrooms or wait until I’m gone to change. I hate it. I’m gay, not a predator.”

Baekhyun winced. “I know, baby. I know.”

“No you don’t. You stay in the house all day. You don’t see the stares. You don’t see how people scoot away from me or how the room goes silent when I enter it. You don’t see how I end up with the worst shifts because no one wants me to be on their shift. Baekhyun, you don’t see it.”

Baekhyun reached across the table and placed his hand on Jongin’s arm. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have brought us here. I should’ve sold this house and stayed in Korea.”

Jongin frowned. “It’s not your fault...you didn’t know any of this would happen. I’m just - what’s the word? Angry? No…” he shook his head again and Baekhyun smiled a bit at the way Jongin still struggled to pull English from thin air. “Frustrated?”

Baekhyun sighed. “I am too.” He glanced at the window again, not sure what he was looking for, but Jongin followed his gaze and grimaced.

“We don’t even feel safe in our house!” He stood up and closed the blinds to each window until they were left in dim lighting. Leaning over the table, head in his hands he mumbled. “I hate it here.”

Baekhyun wet his lips. He had to think fast. He vaguely remembered receiving an email about Austin being LGBT friendly while working earlier and suddenly smiled. “Let’s take a road trip to Austin tomorrow.”

Jongin tilted his head, one eye peeking over his bicep. “Why?”

“They have a lot of people like us there.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for getting this far! Part two is almost done (being written as I write this) and will be revealed once the round is over!
> 
> What do you think will happen next?


End file.
